Is it true?
Thread Starter
2nd Gear Member
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 196
Is it true?
After reading through quite a few post on here I have a couple quick questions.
It appears most of you guys say that the stock gauges are crap and not the most accurate and to put in aftermarket gauges.
Wouldn't think be along the lines of what a ricer does? Puts on a bunch of gauges and stuff to "look cool" on a car that is stock or relatively stock?
If not, what gauges should one go with? Fuel pressure, Temp, Tach and Oil pressure?
It appears most of you guys say that the stock gauges are crap and not the most accurate and to put in aftermarket gauges.
Wouldn't think be along the lines of what a ricer does? Puts on a bunch of gauges and stuff to "look cool" on a car that is stock or relatively stock?
If not, what gauges should one go with? Fuel pressure, Temp, Tach and Oil pressure?
3rd Gear Member
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 775
From:
RE: Is it true?
the guages in theese cars are basicly dummy lights, you wont see when your starting to have a problem it will just let you know when something finnaly gives up, for example oil pressure always fluctuates about 20psibetweet start up and running temp butmy stock guage used to barelymove. I dont think everyone should have tons of guages and a 5' tach on thier car you just need to keep an eye on the vital parts. I went with fuel pressure and boost because im supercharged but since i picked up a 3 pod A pillar i added an oil pressure guage just too keep an eye on it and fill the hole
5th Gear Member
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 3,315
From: San Diego, CA
RE: Is it true?
Your question confuses me slightly
i think your asking if its rice to put on a bunch of gauges on a stock car.
its a touchy subject, i mean, if you have something like a 3 gauge A pillar pod, a 3 gauge cowl vent, radio gauges and vent gauges and a huge tach on a BONE stock car, yes, its overkill, and it pretty much makes you look like a complete idiot, but if you have like, a 2 gauge pod and a tach, just so you can accurately gauge what your engine is doing, no thats fine, personally im looking at a tach+2 gauge pod than sits next to the cluster.
as for what you need? I like oil pressure and water temp in the car, those are the 2 that are most important to the well being of the engine, fuel pressure on stock cars is fine on the line under the hood, so you can check while tuning, but i dont think its important on the fly
i think your asking if its rice to put on a bunch of gauges on a stock car.
its a touchy subject, i mean, if you have something like a 3 gauge A pillar pod, a 3 gauge cowl vent, radio gauges and vent gauges and a huge tach on a BONE stock car, yes, its overkill, and it pretty much makes you look like a complete idiot, but if you have like, a 2 gauge pod and a tach, just so you can accurately gauge what your engine is doing, no thats fine, personally im looking at a tach+2 gauge pod than sits next to the cluster.
as for what you need? I like oil pressure and water temp in the car, those are the 2 that are most important to the well being of the engine, fuel pressure on stock cars is fine on the line under the hood, so you can check while tuning, but i dont think its important on the fly
6th Gear Member
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 6,028
From: st clair shores MI
RE: Is it true?
the most important is tach, or shift lite really
the stock tach is bad on the high end...right where your shifting. a i prefer a lite w/ a 5200 chip in it, by the time i react, i'm completing about 5500, and the stock tach shows over 6k
the next is fp, there is no guage, if you have no probs, no reason to do one , but that has to be outside the car unless you have a fuel separator block. mine is on the fuel rail for verification and thats all.
the stock tach is bad on the high end...right where your shifting. a i prefer a lite w/ a 5200 chip in it, by the time i react, i'm completing about 5500, and the stock tach shows over 6k
the next is fp, there is no guage, if you have no probs, no reason to do one , but that has to be outside the car unless you have a fuel separator block. mine is on the fuel rail for verification and thats all.
Thread Starter
2nd Gear Member
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 196
RE: Is it true?
I wasn't trying to be a smart *** PRO50, I was just wondering. It seems that on some sites(maybe not this one) people bust the chops of guys with hondas or similar because they have this and that when they don't need it because they are stock, but then you come over here and some will say that you need to have this gauge or this gauge to monitor things while your still stock before doing anything motor wise. I am a newb to the 5.0 world and trying to get a grasp on how things work, and what is ok or not ok.
You guys are a great bunch of guys and have helped me quite a few times already in my short time here, and I really appreciate that.
You guys are a great bunch of guys and have helped me quite a few times already in my short time here, and I really appreciate that.
1st Gear Member
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 98
From: Louisiana
RE: Is it true?
Well, here's a pic of my old 91. Had a 306, edelbrock heads, xcam, long tube headers, roller lifters and rockers, MSD ignition and a holly 850 on it with 950 jets. I had a fuel guage on the outside (ofcourse u can't run a fuel line into a car on the track. then again why would u want to at all anyway) 2 pod on the side measureing oil preasure and motor temp. and ofcourse the tac. Not too ricer but good for the moderate car. Like another poster said, the stock guages aren't acurate and my stock tac often jumped around from a short i never desired to fix.
1st Gear Member
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 98
From: Louisiana
RE: Is it true?
agreed, at night i usally have my dash illumination down very low. My speed ometer didn't work anyway. I never got around to replacing the gear for my 4.10 gears in the car. so the sound of the motor told me how fast i was going. Ricer's have street lights on their dash boards. or the full indeglo guages. IMO